


Love and Stuff.

by The_full_moon_is_upon_us



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Homophobia, M/M, Pillow Talk, Secret Relationship, Teen Derek, Teen Derek Hale, Teen Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, True Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-02 06:14:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6554203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_full_moon_is_upon_us/pseuds/The_full_moon_is_upon_us
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek has been secretly dating Stiles for a few months now, only problem is that Derek's family would never accept him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was the middle of the night and Derek was sat in his room on his laptop. The house had been relatively quiet recently, with Laura gone off to university things just seemed to settle down. Yes, Peter was still in their spare room, but he'd now lost one of the main people he argued with most. To be fair, he argued with them all, but Derek, like his dad, had learnt to just go with it, just letting it go was normally the best way thing to do with his stubborn uncle. That was a lesson Laura hadn't learnt. Neither had Cora as a matter of fact, they would both argue that white was black with him. They took after his mother. Talia would go tooth and claw with her brother on a daily bases, and Laura was her right hand man (so to speak), so yes, Derek was enjoying the relative quiet and small slice of peace while it lasted.

  _Tap, tap, tap_

 The midnight silence was blown to shreds at the noise. Without extra sensitive werewolf ears, the only noise in the middle of the night would have been loud, but with them...

 He sat for a moment, waiting. Both listening to see whether his family had woken up, and whether the noise was about to continue. _Or_ whether it was about to leap out at him and attack. ' _Then again,'_ He thought to himself ' _What kind of attacker would let you know they were coming by throwing stones at your window_...' from there it only took him a few more seconds _'Only_ one _person would_ ever _throw stones at my window_.'

"Psst!" ' _Right on cue_ ' Unfortunately for him, he wasn't about to be attacked (well, he was, just not in the way he was hoping). Stiles sure as hell didn't know how to be subtle, or quiet for that matter, and he sure as hell wasn't about to leave. Derek knew he'd have to let him in. Otherwise the whole house would find out about his secret relationship with Stiles. "Psst, Derek, you there?" Stiles continued to _not_ be subtle. Derek then heard him mumbling "Shit, what if I have the wrong room" and he had to smile at that.

 He pulled up the curtains and saw Stiles standing in the dirt and leaves under his window "Stiles, what are you doing?"

 "You weren't answering your phone."

 "So you came to my house?!" It was hard to whisper quietly enough so the pack of sleeping wolves didn't wakeup, but loud enough so that his, well- his Stiles could hear.

 "How do I get up?" He rolled his eyes at the boy at he spotted the wooden mesh on the side of the wall. It took a while, but finally Derek was able to reach him and pull him in before the whole neighbourhood heard, from _ten miles away!_

He settled back into bed, making room so that Stiles sat crossed legged on the bed next to him. "Why are you here Stiles?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did my visit interrupt your midnight porn session?" He laughed until he saw Derek's wide, pointed eyes. "Sorry, noise level, got it."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if you woke up Laura, and she's in Boston."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm sure Laura would be too busy partying, studying or having sex to be asleep in the first place." Derek smiled despite himself. He knew his family wouldn't approve of this unique boy, but Derek did. He wasn't a werewolf, he wasn't anything like them and he wasn't a girl. But his sisters did like him, they just didn't know how much he did.

He nudged Stiles lovingly and without any malice "Hey, that's my sister, arsehole" and they both ended up laughing.

Stiles stretched out and sat legs extended so they were touching Derek's from hip to toe, with his head leant on his shoulder. "What were you doing up so late anyway?" Now Stiles felt tired. Probably because he felt peaceful. For the first time that day he wasn't stressing over one thing or worrying about another, he felt comfortable, he felt safe.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Anything I can help with?"

"No." They stayed quiet for a long time; it was something Derek loved about them, that they were comfortable enough with each other that they didn't feel the need to fill the silence. Derek loved it even more, knowing that he was one of very few people who Stiles could say that about. "I'm worried my dad might not accept us. To be honest, I'm worried about my dad the least. Him, I could understand, I would hate it, but I'd understand. But what about Laura, Cora?"

"I know they will." He kissed Derek's neck softly. "I know you don't believe it, but your sisters do like me. I don't know how it happened, but it's true." Derek laughed. He did feel better now he'd told Stiles, he felt better with him there, but to be honest, that wasn't why he couldn't sleep.

"I'm worried about next year."

"So am I."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. But what I do know is that we'll find a way to make it work."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I lov- Because I just do. I'm sure we'll find a way. But Derek, that may involve finding a way to tell your parents."

"I know, it's just hard, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

He was quiet for a little bit before remembering what he was going to ask. "You said you were trying to text me, anything you wanted to talk to me about?" Stiles could hear the care in Derek's voice plain as the day. He loved seeing this side of Derek that no one else gets to see.

"Not really." And now Derek could hear the pain clear as day.

"What is it?" 

"It's nothing."

"Just tell me." It was no secret that Derek was naturally protective, and with Stiles he was even more so.

"It's just." He took a deep breath "I've had a stressful day, I just wanted to hear your voice, to talk."

"We can talk now if you want." His voice was gentle full of care and affection. "I'm all yours."

"No, it's fine. It was just these stupid tests I have coming up, and then I got like five detentions from some stupid teacher, and it's all just been really crap."

"Why are you so worried about tests, you know you always do well."

"Yeah, but still. Revision is killing me."

"You'll pull through, don't worry."

"I know, I know."

"So why'd you get these detentions?"

"Because he's a bitch."

"Harris again?"

"Yep."

"Good." They smiled at each other, Derek hated the chemistry teacher, Mr Harris, even more than Scott did. But not as much as Stiles he was unfaltering in his belief that no one hated him more than Stiles. Derek was unusually in a reflective state of mind. It was probably because it was late, or the full moon was on it's way, but it wasn't. It was just Stiles. "You know what you said earlier? I do too, you know?"

"You do what?"

"I love you too." Stiles lifted his head off where it rested on Derek's shoulder and stared wide eyes at him. "You don't have to look so shocked, what did you expect?" Stiles huffed a laugh and Derek bent down to kiss him. The boy he loved.

"Well I didn't actually say that I did," he smirked, "So..."

"Shut up." Derek smiled and rolled his eyes, pulling Stiles closer so he could kiss him.

They settled into the quiet midnight hours once more, smiling to themselves. Derek was so relieved that he'd said it, he didn't feel vulnerable anymore, he just felt accepted, and, well, loved. Stiles was just happy that Derek had said it. He knew that he loved Derek, but he also knew how Derek didn't like putting himself out there, he didn't like feeling vulnerable. So Stiles knew what it meant that he'd said it. It meant the world.

Maybe to others it would seem a little soon, a little too far to say 'love' already. But quite frankly neither of them cared. They had been friends for almost a year, and secretly dating for two or three months now, but Stiles knew he loved Derek, and for Derek to say it back, well he sure as hell did too then. So who really cared what others would think, because others didn't know.

Derek had homed in to the sounds of the house, focusing his hearing to it's full. He could hear Cora moving in her sleep, the dripping of a tap downstairs, the leaves rustling outside, the swing (a mile away) creaking in the breeze and he heard the sound of animals on the road into town. He was so paranoid that he'd hear his family wake up, because if he could hear them, they could hear him, and more importantly, they could hear Stiles. But he didn't hear anyone.

"Derek." Stiles had whispered it at the same volume as before but it made Derek jump out of his skin. He was so focused on hearing every little sound, that Stiles had sounded like he was shouting. "Sorry."

He winced "It's fine, what were you going to say?"

"We should tell people."

"What do you mean?" Derek was sat up straighter now, worried.

"I mean, if we've said that we love one another, than we should be able to stay together despite what others think. We don't have to tell your family straight away, and we could start by just telling Cora or Laura, but I think we can start to tell them now. Scott the others definitely."

"Yeah we can tell Scott tomorrow," he paused, relaxing back down into the duvet. "Just maybe not the love thing." They were both smiling, it was all good.

"No, I know. Just me is fine."

The sound of their in-sink breathing, and the heat off one another made it hard to keep their eyes open.

"Hey, Derek?"

"Yeah"

"Can I stay tonight?"

Stiles had never asked that before, he'd never stayed before. But Derek was glad that he would be. "Yeah."

And they fell asleep, hands held tightly under the duvet and heads leant softly against one another's on the pillow.


	2. A close call?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They had overslept and Stiles had now woken up in a house of hostile werewolves. How much longer could their secret relationship last?

The morning light trickled through the sleepy woods and filled the room with a golden glow. Stiles was sound asleep, snoring, and spread over Derek's chest. Derek was drifting between a shallow sleep and a drowsy awake. That was until he suddenly became aware of the pressure and heat over his naked chest and he was wide awake, sat bolt upright. Stiles simply flopped off, sleeping squished against the wall, murmuring something as he went. ' _God, how's this happened_ ' Derek thought in a panic, he could smell the breakfast being fried up by his mother, he could hear his uncle grumbling as he woke up and then shouting when Talia nocked on his door. And he knew, they were in deep shit.

"Yeah, yeah, coming dad." Stiles stirred at the shouting below and Derek sat wide eyed, cringing and waiting to hear if anyone reacted. Maybe they weren't listening out for it like Derek was listening for them, but he was sure _someone_ must have heard.

"Derek, come down for breakfast!" His mum shouted up and he watched Stiles stir again. Praying to god that he wouldn't shout back

Like he'd ever be that lucky, Stiles turned over to shout "I'm up, I'm up" so Derek shouted "I'm coming, I'm coming!" even louder to try and cover it up. Not that Stiles showed any signs that he would have been getting up, that didn't surprise Derek at all, he knew Stiles wasn't a morning person. But with Derek shouting a foot from his head it was not wonder he jumped out of his skin and smacked his head on the headboard.

"If it's not for sex, it's just not worth it." He smiled up at Derek as he settled back into the bed, pulling the duvet up over his old crinkled cloths. "Wh-" he started but Derek threw a hand over Stiles' now very startled face and lifted a finger to his lips. He bent his handsome young face so that his lips brushed against Stiles' ear, and despite himself it sent shivers down his spine and Stiles could feel his erection beginning.

But that was put from his mind when Derek whispered "We've overslept, my whole family is awake, you can't make any noise, okay? " Stiles smirked, but Derek's raised eyebrows and wide eyes made it clear that he was being very serious.

"Derek! Have you taken my schoolbooks?!" Cora shouted through the house

"Why would I have your school books?!" He shouted back, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"I swear if you do!" She banged on his door. "Come out, pussy! Fight me!" It was like this most days. Cora always blamed him for the things that she lost, then she'd demand to fight him, then she'd find it. Talia encouraged it. She encouraged fights between them, saying that it would build their bonds, their strength, train them well and make more well rounded pack members. However, Derek just thought it was just a way for Talia to build Cora, _not_ himself as he could easily beat his two year younger sister in a fight. He'd started training with Peter instead.

"Cora, go away."

"Too weak? Too much of a pussy to fight me? Afraid you'll loose?"

"Fuck off Cora!"

"Touched a nerve have I? Sure you're not just too scared-" but she was cut off with the most fearsome, bloodcurdling growl he had ever let rip in the house, let alone at this time in the morning. His eyes glowed bright yellow, teeth out and claws ready, his face transformed from the handsome, brooding teenager, into the furious, terrifying werewolf. It wasn't the first time Stiles had seen him change, yet he would have been foolish not to be scared. He just wasn't worried. Derek would never hurt him.

Yet this wasn't just any growl or roar, and this wasn't even something that you'd hear when being attacked. This was a very specific, and most formidable sound a werewolf would ever make. A roar or growl when protecting a mate. Not that Stiles, Derek or Cora knew that. But Peter did, and so did Talia. And so did his father. And it was the end of their secret.

The whole house seemed to feel it's extent, everything was quiet around them as they all fell silent, no one daring to move or even breath. Some time passed this way until Cora walked away, seeming to relieve some of the building tension.

And that was the start of the end of Derek's slice of peace.

Derek turned back to Stiles, as his eyes turned back, and his claws turned to nails. And was lipsing;

'What do we do now?'

Stiles pulled a clearly unknowing face that soon turned into hope as he made a phone with his hands.

'Mum's got it'

So Stiles took out his and typed; _What do we do?_

Derek took it and typed back _I don't know, hide and I'll get you out later?_

But Stiles had realised when Derek had growled; he was _literally_ in a werewolf lair, full of werewolves that were bigger, older and more powerful than Derek, who they didn't know how they would react to finding Stiles. And if it went wrong, they were much more willing to spill his blood. So he typed _Say you're ill? Stay up here?_

_We don't get ill_

_Do you have a lockable door?_

_Yeah_

_I'll lock it, but what if they hear me?_

_I'll come back_

"Derek, honey, are you coming down for breakfast?" His mum asked from outside his door. Shit.

"Just give me a second." He tried to pant as if he was struggling to change back, his voice sounded panicked like it wold do. Then he heard it, their give away, Stiles' heartbeat rocketing. In a last desperate hope, he handed Stiles what looked like a hand held laser, typing:

_This is excruciating to werewolf ears. If someone other than me comes, press it and keep pressing it until you're in the woods. I'll try and meet you._

Stiles took it in cautious hands, and then took his phone once more. _How will I know it's you?_

_I'll cough outside the door 3 times._ It felt childish, but what else could they do?

He pulled on some cloths and handed Stiles a pillow to try and muffle the sound of his heart slightly, knowing it would make little difference. He then sprayed his strongest deodorant to mask Stiles' smell, while Stiles grabbed the baseball bat from under Derek's bed. Derek rolled his eyes at the boy he'd chosen to love.

When Derek left Stiles locked the door and crept over the room to sit under the window, ready for escape. Then he listened and waited, baseball bat raised.

Derek came into the kitchen to find Talia and Peter sat at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and eating a plate of bacon, eggs and beans. They were talking intensely in hushed voices, agreeing for once, and Derek stopped just outside the doorway as he heard his mother whisper "What else am I supposed to do Peter? She's _human_." He paused, worried, but when he Derek rounded the corner, they both stopped at once.

"Hey honey, how are you feeling today?" Talia wasn't the kind of mother that showed love and affection all that often, and she certainly wasn't the kind of mother who called her children 'honey'. She only did that when she wanted something; cooperation, information, anything. It was her one step off of a demand; reserved only for her children.

"Fine." He stood awkwardly in the doorway

"Won't you sit with us? Have a little breakfast." She wasn't asking. So he did. "We heard what happened with your sister."

She seemed to be waiting for a response, and he didn't want to be here long "I'd be worried if you didn't. Where's Cora and dad?"

"Cora's gone to school, your father's upstairs." _'Oh crap.'_  

 

***

(Upstairs)

***

 

Meanwhile, sat in his corner upstairs, Stiles typed out text after text to Scott and his own dad.

 

Dad- 'Where the HELL were you last night?'

Stiles- 'Stayed at Scott's' Then he frantically texted Scott.

-'Scott, if my dad askes, I stayed at yours, yeah?'

Dad- 'Tell me next time'

Stiles -'Sorry, lost track of time'

Dad- 'When did you leave?'

That got Stiles, he'd been with his dad for a rare dinner together -'After dinner'

Dad- 'In your pajamas?'

Stiles- 'Got changed, it was urgent'

Dad- 'I don't trust you, but something tells me I don't want to be asking questions about it. Just get your arse to school.'

 

That was when he heard someone walking down the landing, wooden floorboards creaking under their feet. They stopped out side Derek's room, and Stiles could see the shadow and clutched the pillow closer to his passing heart and didn't dare to breath.

The door thumped gently against its lock as though someone had lightly pushed it to check if it was open. Even he could hear his heart frantically preparing him for a fight or flite reaction. ' _Shit! Shit! Shit, oh Crap!'_ His brain rang.

After what felt like hours though was only a couple of seconds, the footsteps continued down the hall and down the stairs. Derek looked round to see his dad standing at the door. The huge man looked so strange in a suit and tie, but right now all Derek could think about was how serious he looked, how- not quite, but around the brink of- angry too.

"Derek I need to talk to you when I get home." He simply nodded ' _Double shit.'_ This really wasn't good, but surprisingly he was keeping his nerve amazingly. His heartrate was even, his face unreadable and his answers unrevealing. What he didn't know was that this was all because of the extents that a werewolf could go to, to protect his mate. It was easy to lie, he could keep things from those who could tell easily when people were lying (aka his Alpha mum).

When he turned back around Talia had her mouth pressed into a cold hard line and she gave a sideways glance to her younger brother who was leant back with his eyebrows raised bored and looking knowingly at Derek.

"Derek is there anything you want to tell us?"

"No."

"Anyone new in your life? Are you seeing anyone?"

"Why the hell do you want to know all of a sudden?!" But seeing her expression he simply added "No."

"Okay, I'll talk to you again later, but for now I have to go to work. Peter, make sure he gets to school."

Derek normally got on well with Peter, and as they sat staring at one another until Talia had driven far enough away so she wouldn't hear, he knew that his Uncle knew. He also knew that he hadn't told Talia if he did. Peter leaned forward "So..."


	3. He Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek has always tried desperately to hide his relationship with Stiles from his pack, fear of what his homophobic dad would say. But now; that 's over. He's admitted that he loves Stiles, but that might just not be enough anymore.

 

"Why did you bring him here?" Peter asked casually. Derek of course knew what he was referring to, and that was Stiles, sat upstairs in his bedroom, scared to death that one of Derek's family members would discover him there. But he had to try and play it cool.

"What?" He did his best to sound genuinely confused, and to his surprise, it came across well.

"Why did you bring Stiles here?"

"I didn't." 

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying! Anyway, you would be able to tell if I were." And technically he wasn't, Stiles came to him.

"Not necessarily."

"What do you mean? We can always tell when we're being lied to."

"That's not always true." He pushed back from the table and brought his finished breakfast plate to the sink. "There are ways to fool the system. A practiced liar can bend the truth, keep his heartrate and his breathing even. But that's not what I'm talking about."

"What _are_ you talking about?" His forehead creased.

"I'll tell you later. But right now you are going to get that boy, give him a change of cloths and take him to school. Then you are going to come back, and I'm going to tell you what I know."

"What _do_ you know?"

"Why do you always ask such stupid questions? Were you not listening to what I _just_ said?" He pushed Derek out of the kitchen to the bottom of the stairs. "But you can put it this way; I know all about you."

*

When Derek got to his bedroom door he forgot that he had Stiles lock it after him. He then also forgot that he'd told Stiles to only open the door to him, and he'd cough three times to show it was him. So he did, but with Peter standing at the bottom of the stairs, rolling his eyes, it just felt really silly, awkward and immensely embarrassed.

When Stiles did open the door, he didn't say anything. Stiles still thought he was in a house full of hostile werewolves who could potentially rip him to shreds if he made a sound.

"It's okay, they're gone."

"Oh _thank god!"_ He let out a massive sigh and fell back onto the bed, dropping the bat he clung to, onto the duvet and loosening his grip on the pillow he clutched to muffle his heartbeat, as he flopped backwards. "I thought that'd never end. I thought I was done for. I thought _we_ were done for." But Derek knew they weren't out of the woods yet. (No pun intended.) He also knew that there was something about what Peter had said and the way he'd acted that made Derek feel as if it were the end. He just didn't know of _what_ just yet. Of the secrets, of their innocent feelings or of their whole relationship? Stiles could see it plain as day on his face and his smile dropped and voice shifted to soothing "What's the matter?"

But all Derek could bring himself to say was "Do you have that sound thing I gave you?"

"Oh, yeah." Stiles pulled the laser looking device from his pocket, the one Derek had told him to press as a last resort. The one which was excruciating to a werewolf's ears. "Where did you get that?" The natural curiosity in Stiles had always been beautiful to Derek, but today it was like he couldn't see into the beauty of Stiles' soul. And that he hated.

"I took it."

"From?..."

"Hunters."

Stiles could tell something was wrong, he knew that he should probably drop it all together, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do so yet "Werewolf hunters? The Argents?"

"Yeah, they're used to round up werewolves. To trap them. I took one when I was being hunted." He rubbed his forehead, he wasn't thinking of what he was saying or the how it would make Stiles feel- like he normally would- he just felt stressed. He felt the panic building in him.

" _When?"_ Stiles squeaked, the mere thought of Derek being hunted tore him up, and made his eyes start to water in anger, fear and pain. His heart beat uneven and his breath hitched slightly.

"A year ago." He spoke so casually about it. Shrugging off Stiles' worry.

"Oh..." His mouth hung in the small subconscious pout he pulled when he was worried or upset but he didn't say anything more on the subject. He knew he had to drop it. "Um... what do we do now?" Derek looked down at Stiles, into those big golden eyes that he loved so much and seeing his mates pain, it washed all of his own fears away. He could be strong, he could make it through for Stiles.

 He picked up his baseball bat, and sat down on the messy bed next to Stiles, spinning it in his hands. One night here and Stiles had managed to mess up Derek's room more than he ever would himself. "We're going to get you a spare set of clothes, and then I'm going to drive you to school."

Stiles turned to face him, he felt sick. He had that gut retching feeling that something was about to happen, that his piece of happiness in this world would be ripped away from him. "What about you?"

"I'm going to stay off school. Peter is going to-" He paused he didn't quite know what Peter planned to do "Help me. Help us. At least I think that's the plan." He smiled to himself.

"He knows?"

"Yeah, and if he does help, we may just be able to cap it off as just him."

Stiles looked at his hands, limp in his lap. "I don't want that. What we said last night, it still hasn't changed. I still think we should tell people."

"No, I know, and I still mean it. But we can't. We just can't tell anyone at the moment. Not now, not anymore." Derek put a hand under Stiles' chin and lifted it. "I still mean it, I really do."

"You haven't said it." Stiles looked down at his hands again, fiddling with his jeans.

Derek rolled his eyes. How silly his mate could be. "You don't really need me to... to know it's true I mean. And in fact I recall that it was you who didn't say it. But Stiles," He took a deep breath. This didn't come very naturally to him. But sitting with Stiles he could laugh and smile when he thought he would never have been able to. So for Stiles, _anything._ "I don't care about who said what and when, I don't care if I say it first, it won't change anything. I love you. And that _won't_ change for as long as I know you." Stiles was 100% sure that that was the most soppy and romantic thing that Derek had ever thought, let alone said! And his heart fluttered in response.

Stiles smiled. "Bit far wouldn't you say?" And they laughed, and then they kissed. Because it wasn't, not even a little. It was true, of course it was.

 

***

 

"I'll meet you after school. I won't particularly want to stay at home tonight. Not with _them."_ Stiles smiled toothlessly, sympathetic without being condescending. He opened the door to jump out. His school bag, that they'd picked up from his house when he changed his cloths, over his shoulder. "Try and touch others, hugs and whatnot."

Stiles laughed "Why?"

"Your scent, or more importantly, mine."

Stiles' forehead creased, trying to make sense of this, there were none of his family as school, so why... _oh_ "Cora." He mumbled. "Bit paranoid don't you think?" He rolled his eyes, but he'd do it anyway.

"Yeah, but just if you can, try and avoid her." They smiled at each other. Knowing Cora, that would probably be quite hard. They were good friends, and she had no boundaries, she'd follow him into the boys changing rooms if she thought he was avoiding her.

They got out of the car.

"I thought you weren't coming in?"

"I'm not, but I'll leave the car. Make it _look_ like I went to school at least."

"Right. See ya." And with that Stiles left and Derek walked straight into the woods, and changed as he ran. His mind racing in front of him.

 

*

 

Derek changed back as he stepped through the door, proud of how much control he had over his shifts now. But as soon as he was in, Peter was walking straight towards him. "Out." He pointed to the door and Derek rolled his eyes for what felt like the millionth time today as he walked outside again.

"So how did you-?"

"No." Peter interrupted "I'm going to start, you're going to listen." Derek rolled his eyes again. It seemed to be a talent that he had perfected over the years due to his family and friends. He followed Peter into the woods, always half a step behind, away from the school, away from Stiles, away from the main road into town, away from the house, away from everything. "I guess from the fact that you didn't tell anyone about him, that you didn't want people to know. But it's too late for that now, because they're about to find out."

"How did you know?"

Peter raised his eyebrows at his nephew, and Derek shut up again. "That little out burst this morning, that wasn't just some early morning growl. That was the sound that a we only make when protecting our mate."

" _What?!_ I-"

" _I said Shut Up!_ " Peter looked furiously at Derek. "I don't care if you didn't know that, because _we_ all did. And now they know, and all they have to do to find out who your little _mate_ is, will be to find his scent again. And we both know that wont be hard, he's friends with Cora as well as you. Every time you come home from school, every time you come back from Scott's, it'll be there. And it wont take a genius to make the connection and track him down." He paused "And that, by the way, is how you could lie earlier. It's built in that we can go to any extent to protect our mates, yes Derek, your _mate_ , which includes lying. Even to us." Peter fell silent and the crunching leaves underfoot were all that could be heard around them as they walked.

"How do you know all this?" Derek's voice was quiet, he felt as if he was tapping into Peter's whole personality. Not the sarcastic, witty side, but the moody, brooding side of him.

"Because I do." He replied shortly, annoyed, clearly not wanting to share. "Now listen to me. You are going to break it off with him. You are going to tell him that you were wrong, that you don't love him and you never have. You will push him away and you won't even be friends with him."

"I can't do that!" It was a thought that sickened him.

"You're going to have to, or you are going to watch Talia do it for you. 

_"Why?!"_

"Because he's a _human! Don't you understand?!_ We are being watched, we are being hunted, the Argents are just _waiting_ and _hoping_ for us to put a _toe_ out of line. And Derek, this is a _whole God damn limb!_ "

"But what if they don't find out?!"

"They _will._ You know Gerard will, and Derek, when that happens, the last of our worries will be if we can hide your relationship. It'll be keeping you _alive_."

"So what are you saying?"

"Derek, you know what I'm saying." Peter paused, turning to look at his nephew, sympathy- a new look in his eyes. "I'm saying that you're going to have to leave Stiles, and leave him for good."


End file.
